MarkWhittington writes: "Newt Gingrich's speech in Florida when he proposed the now much maligned and much debated upon lunar base did not actually articulate the reasons for creating such a facility, aside from the vague notion that it would be an expression of American greatness.

The question of why spend money to create a lunar base is not a frivolous one, considering the reaction Gingrich's proposal has gotten. It is a question that has been a struggle for proponents to articulate clearly.